Amid Stalled Talks, Unions To Protest CL&P, Yankee Gas Over Staffing

Utility employees at two local electrician unions, working under an expired contract for Connecticut Light & Power and Yankee Gas, said Thursday they will hold an informational picket next week to protest the companies' decreasing staffing levels.

The unions, locals 457 and 420 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, plan to march Tuesday afternoon from State House Square to the downtown Hartford headquarters of Northeast Utilities, the parent of both operating companies.

In addition to staffing levels, the unions said they are protesting forced overtime and the replacement of skilled workers with out-of-state contractors.

About 1,000 employees between the two union locals have worked for CL&P under an expired contract since June 1. About 400 union workers of Yankee Gas have had an expired contract for more than five months.

The picket comes as CL&P has recently ended or declined to extend the contracts of some outside workers who repair and maintain the distribution system. Several people claiming familiarity with operations have said the number of discontinued contractors is in the hundreds.

CL&P has declined to give details, but said the workers had finished the projects they were contracted to do and that the numbers weren't as significant as suggested in the claims.

Either way, some people in the unions have said CL&P has too much reliance on outside contractors.

"It's not rocket science. "When you continue to cut corners and reduce the number of workers in order to make more profits, you see the types of repeated power outages that Connecticut residents have experienced over the past year," said John Fernandes, business manager of IBEW Local 457 in Berlin. "Make no mistake, CL&P has implemented dangerously low staffing levels, and the company has systemically cut back on experienced staff for decades."

A CL&P spokesman said Thursday in response that staffing levels are in line with "leading utility standards" and that, in the event of a major storm, it calls on outside crews and other utilities to help the utility "restore power as quickly and safely as possible."

"Unfortunately, the union is attempting to distort the issues," said company spokesman Mitch Gross. "We are negotiating in good faith at the bargaining table and will continue to do so. Our top priority is to reach a contract agreement that is good for our customers and our employees, who currently enjoy a comprehensive benefits package and good wages."

Union officials indicated earlier this week that staffing levels were stalling contract negotiations. Frank Cirillo, business manager of IBEW Local 420 in Waterbury, said that the company chose profits over investment in work rules, infrastructure, equipment and adequate staffing, failing to meet its promise to provide additional manpower.

"It's outrageous that CL&P continues to offer such unsafe and ineffective proposals on staffing at a time when the company remains under enormous scrutiny for poor storm response, and as it continues to fail the people of Connecticut with repeated power outages even now," Cirillo said.